HBO's Baldur's Gate 3 adaptation starts 10 steps back

A prestigious TV adaptation of what has to be my favorite game sounds like a dream come true – or at least it should. Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the decade's most acclaimed RPGs, a rare lightning-in-a-bottle success that managed to satisfy long D&D fans while drawing in a whole new audience. On paper, this is the kind of announcement that almost sounds too good to be true.

And yet, from the moment fans began to learn more about the project, something about it felt off to many. Not because Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't belong on television, it absolutely does, but because adaptations live or die on the smaller details. The characters, the pacing and the emotional logic that makes a world feel lived in rather than performed. When a project begins to chip away at these fundamentals before it's even begun, excitement has a way of shrinking into worry.

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HBO's Baldur's Gate 3 series has obvious potential — but there's one thing missing

You've heard of the “elephant in the room.” That nagging, omnipresent fact or person too big or important to ignore. Well, in this Baldur's Gate 3 show, there is actually an elephant missing. In an X post, Geoff Keighley confirms that Larian Studios has no involvement in the TV series.

For fans who have spent hundreds of hours with Baldur's Gate 3Larian Studios' absence isn't a minor production footnote: it's a startling omission. Learning that the creators are most responsible for BG3s magic isn't directly involved is the kind of revelation that reframes the entire adaptation, especially for an audience that knows exactly how rare that level of care really is.

What we know about HBO's Baldur's Gate 3 adaptation

At first glance, most people would conclude that a Baldur's Gate 3 A TV show would adapt the story that players know: from a suppressed party's first days of infection to their epic showdown against the absolutes of the city. But a “Baldur's Gate 3 adaptation” isn't even that accurate. Here's what we know so far:

What we do know is the series' broad strokes. Of course, when reading the premises, Baldur's Gate 3 players will have many unanswered questions:

Which of Baldur's Gate 3Will the series' multiple endings assume?
Was a Tav, Durge or Origin character leading the party?
Which of Baldur's Gate 3s party member end will HBO continue?
Will Baldur's Gate 3s actors recasting their roles?

Larian is not involved in the Baldur's Gate 3 series. Is that a bad omen?

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)

The absence of Larian Studios does not automatically condemn Baldur's Gate 3 adaptation. With the series reportedly set after the events of the game, HBO and Hasbro have great freedom to chart new territory without retreading familiar ground. In theory, the creative distance could allow the show to stand on its own, unburdened by the expectation of faithfully recreating a player-driven experience. Concerns begin to emerge when familiarity enters the equation.

This game is loved not just for its overarching plot, but for how carefully its characters are written, paced, and allowed to develop. BG3s companions are not static archetypes; they are reactive, contradictory, and shaped by choices in ways that feel deeply intentional.

About HBO Baldur's Gate tells a largely original story with a new cast, Larian's lack of commitment may ultimately play very little part. But if the series leans BG3s relationships, characters or unresolved endings, this absence becomes much more consequential. Then it is no longer about continuity. It's about writing. Without the studio defining the emotional logic of these characters, the adaptation risks mistaking superficiality for substance, expanding the world while tacitly misunderstanding its heart.

It's not all doom and gloom for the Baldur's Gate 3 adaptation

Consulted, not completely forgotten

Although Larian's lack of commitment may be a valid concern for many BG3 fans, a blessing and well wishes can offer some comfort. Larian's CEO and creative director Swen Vincke wrote on X an encouraging message about the upcoming HBO series. In that note, he says showrunner Craig Mazin has reached out “for a chat.”

The small gesture weighs more than it may seem. Reaching out implies an awareness that Baldur's Gate 3 is not just an environment or a brand, but a carefully constructed narrative experience shaped by specific creative values.

If Vincke's answer is any indication, there is only cautious optimism here. And in an age where many adaptations treat their source material as optional, even that level of goodwill makes sense. That doesn't guarantee success, but it does indicate that those directing this adaptation understand what's at stake. Most importantly, they know that the blessing of those who built the foundation they now stand on is crucial.

The kind of enthusiasm that matters

Baldur's Gate 3 has had a vibrant life even after Patch 8. The collective passion for the game has not died thanks to its vibrant fandom. Twitch streamers, fan artists, cosplayers, content creators and hordes of new players have breathed new life into the game – and we're constantly seeing waves of new people falling in love with the world Larian Studios created. That passion matters. And that passion has created a labor of love.

The Baldur's Gate 3 the show is hosted by Craig Mazin, American filmmaker best known for his work with Chernobyl and HBO The last of us. Apart from this, he is also a super fan of Baldur's Gate 3 like the rest of us. He has boasted of putting nearly a thousand hours into the world we fell in love with, and has claimed to beat Honor Mode. In his conversation with Deadline, one thing stands out among the reasonable concerns gamers might have: a deep respect and love for the source material. And it has held year after year Baldur's Gate 3 alive – regardless of what that life looks like after launch.